Romney - October surprise?

[Honeycombe8]

I'm guessing that last week the GOP was wishing that McCain had picked Romney as the VP. He got lots of Repub votes in the primary, was a governor ("executive experience"), a multi-millionaire, and his strong suit was the economy. (I know Dems hate him, but Romney clearly had lots of appeal to the conservatives who want their economical philosophy pushed, since he had been a successful businessman.)

Romney would've been a boring choice, compared to Palin. But when the fiscal crisis hit, I'm just guessing that many GOPers just crapped in their pants, asking "where is Romney, when we need him?"

Instead of a Palin-Biden debate coming up, there would be a Romney-Biden debate during a time of an economy crisis.

Instead of Palin-Couric interview all over the media, there would've been a Romney-Brian Williams interview on the economy.

Now a conservative has written an article stating that Palin should step down "for personal reasons," for the good of their party.

I'm just wondering....could it happen? A last minute switcheroo that delights conservatives and appeals to conservative independents? They certainly would be no worse off, and it falls into the gimmicky, unpredictable way they're conducting that campaign.

[Zynx]

1. It would be disasterous. It would make McCain look like a lunatic and it would

piss off a lot of the hard core fundies who hate Mormons and love Palin.

[Honeycombe8]

8. The fundies had gotten behind Romney, at the end, I thought. But maybe not. nt

[Zynx]

14. Elements of them did. Many were offended by him.

[FatDave]

49. Are you kidding? Them mormons are CRAZY!

Real Christians don't have magic underwear! Real Christians speak in tongues!

[lonestarnot]

34. Well he already looks like a fucking lunatic, so he wouldn't be hurt much.

The second portion of your answer is really why he wouldn't do a trick like that, and he's still digging for his trick pony in the stack of straw.

[DrDan]

2. no way will it happen

it would put mccain's decision making in doubt - big time.

They have to go with palin - and she still solidifies the base for him.

[Blarch]

6. I disagree.

I can't see how they send Palin to the debate.

Palin debating Biden would be a disaster.

Palin dropping out for a 'family crisis' wouldn't be a disaster, and Romney coming in would dominate another news cycle or two.

I really don't see Palin debating Biden.

[DrDan]

42. you are giving the palin supporters way too much credit

for recognizing her limitations.

Remember, there are probably 20% representing this same base who would vote for junior if a third term were granted.

[iceman66]

3. He would have been better off if he had picked Romney in the beginning,

but a switch now would be a fatal mistake without a really good excuse.

[JeanGrey]

4. Just because we don't like Sarah you are vastly underestimating

her appeal. Why in the world would he pick Romney? Romney's a mormon! That choice would have been a disaster among the fundies.

Sarah has energized their base.

[onenote]

19. yep.

She still polls favorably with an astronomical number of repubs.

They have no intention of pushing her out the door. The fact that so many here think it will happen is surprising, since it is such a politically naive point of view.

[chelsea0011]

5. I agree that a change will come if the polls numbers continue to tank this week

McCain will take one big gulp and his people will call it leeadership making the tough decisions and moving forward. And I think it will happen sooner than later. No way they want Palin in a debate.

[frickaline]

7. I don't think Romney would do it

I think if he wanted the position he'd have taken it from the beginning. He doesn't seem the type to refuse initially and then jump on board later down the road.

Maybe I could see something like this from Lieberman, but Romney just seems a bit more image conscious.

[Honeycombe8]

10. It's my understanding he didn't refuse. It wasn't offered to him. McCain hates him. nt

[frickaline]

25. I know that's how the media reported it but I simply don't believe it.

The McCain camp would have had to spin it this way regardless of what happened. I think Romney, like Huckabee, was too smart to sign on to the straight talk express to nowhere.

[Honeycombe8]

30. No, I really believe that McCain didn't want Romney. Media reported that they all knew that McSame

hated Romney. Plus, I personally think McSame didn't want a very tall, handsome, dark-haired man standing next to him on the stage.

As for Huckabee, he was never under serious consideration, as far as I know.

[secondwind]

9. Conservative "fundies" would stay home on Election Day if Palin isn't on the ticket.

Believe me, McCain is stuck with this idiot, whether he likes it or not.

[saltpoint]

11. It's McCain's poor judgment to have chosen Sarah Palin, a woman

who apparently can field dress a moose but who hasn't read the Constitution.

What kind of voter LIKES that in a nominee? On second that, I don't really want to KNOW what kind of voter likes that in a nominee.

Or, in an equally plausible theory, the Dobson-type nutbags brought pressure to bear on McCain and chose Palin FOR him, in return for their support of his already-pathetic campaign. In this scenario, the McCain-as-Maverick-Leader theory comes under considerable strain. In other words, the Fundies bark and order and McCain the Wuss does their bidding, hence a clueless, dangerous pick of Sarah Palin.

If he keeps her on the ticket his judgment is a palpable negative for the next 5 weeks. If he dumps her he's likely even worse off.

Palin herself could stage a "O dear God my children need me at home" exit and allow for some relief, but McCain would still be in charge of a pretty disastrous campaign. Romney is more formidable than Palin but he's also a bit of a creep. Also Romney lost to McCain in the GOP primary, blowing huge leads in both Iowa and New Hampshire, which suggests that the GOP big business base is not hogwild about Romney enough to lift him to the nomination. And the fundies are definitely not hogwild about Mormons.

McCain has no good choices.

[Honeycombe8]

17. Like Bill Maher quipped: She could say she's quitting because "Oh, I have this baby. I forgot." nt

[saltpoint]

18. It would be her only way out.

The famous "more time with family" rationale. It's really thin but I doubt if it will ever be abandoned.

She can't very well say, "Look. I'm dumber than a stump and have no business in a national political campaign. It's been a real hoot but I have zero interest in this debate and McCain's leering glances at my hindend."

Romney would probably take the job. He's panting like a circus dog for his next trick.

[morillon]

40. LOL!!!

[dazzlerazzle]

12. McCain choice

We have no idea who may have been approached and flatly said that they didn't want to be the pick. It is very hard for me to believe that if you have the resume of Rob Portman of Ohio standing beside Sarah Palin that you could toss the Portman qualifications in the waste basket.

[peacebird]

13. the only way it would work would be if Palin dropped out of the race for personal reasons

and convinced the rightwing that it was her idea to do so, and threw her enthusiastic support behind Romney taking her place.

It would HAVE to look like Palins idea or it would blow up in McSames face.

[onenote]

20. and that would be pretty much impossible to do

She took the offer to be on the ticket She'd be conceding that she didn't know what she was doing when she took it. She'd be tanking any potential future she has on the national political scene. If she stays on the ticket and mccain/palin loses, she still has a future. She's more popular than McCain is.

[Motown_Johnny]

15. I'm just happy McCalin won. We could be running against a Romney/Giuliani ticket right now

[100AcreWood]

16. It'll be Huckabee ...

... if there's a change at all.

[elkston]

21. If they choose another VP, then Obama should be ruthless in pointing out his bad judgment

The very next day, an ad should come out with clips of Palin's worst mistakes and then with a big message "As Commander in Chief, You only get 1 shot at the big decisions".

They should never let up on him about that because its the truth. If he was willing to gamble on Palin, what other brash, uninformed decisions would he make in the White House?

[Honeycombe8]

22. He SHOULD do that. But I wonder.....would he? Yeah, I guess he would. nt

[bklyncowgirl]

23. The fundies would walk out--if McCain dumps Palin it will be for another religious wacko

I can't think of who it could be.

Huckabee's popular with the fundamentalists but he's anathema to Big Business.

Mittens is the darling of Big Businss but the Big Jesus crowd ain't votin' for no Morman.

Nobody got too hyped up over Tim Pawlenty and it's probably not going to happen.

It would have to be another third stringer and a bigger risk than sticking with Palin.

[Vote2008]

24. Jesus, I m sick of these type of posts!

[Honeycombe8]

31. Placed on ignore. You should do that same. (we seeeeee youuuuuuuu)

:hide:

[Thrill]

26. Romney has the same problem as John Edwards

He come off as phony. No matter what they do

[deadparrot]

27. Why do we even assume that Romney would take it at this point?

Assuming, of course, that it was offered, and particularly if he has aspirations to run in 2012. I'm not saying it would be political suicide, but it's certainly not going to help his chances to have his own name and reputation tied into this floundering campaign.

[OnionPatch]

28. I can't see it. Not at this point.

Of course, nothing shocks me anymore, but I think it would be political suicide for him to pull a switcherooni now. He would look so very desperate and the switch would be proof that he picked Palin for purely political reasons.

[nomorewhopper]

29. This would be a HUGE development

Romney is a guy who the entire country could rally around. the fundies warmed up to him at the end, and the fiscal conservatives LOVE him. the fact that he is a wildly successful businessman would be a huge benefit to this ticket.

obama would have to try to claim that mccain was just playing politics, which would harm mccain, but i believe that this is the type of gimmick that could turn the election away from us.

[Zynx]

35. Funny, the country rejected Romney's bullshit flatout during the primaries.

[nomorewhopper]

36. times have changed my friend

romney's plastic delivery couldn't connect especially squeezed between mccain and huckleberry, but he's got more economic experience than almost anybody in washington, and that type of experience would be worth gold nowadays.

you see ,the republicans didn't get their man this year. mccain was never the fundie's choice. they wanted huckster. mccain was never the fiscal conservative's choice. they wanted romney. in the end they got mccain and neither camp was really happy. after mccain was anointed, the fundies warmed up to romney because hey, at least he was a religious man.

[Zynx]

37. I lived in the belly of the beast in Waukesha County, Wisconsin and I can tell you

Romney had virtually no support even among economic conservatives there. Romney could have maybe pulled off the economic message but he could have just as easily been labeled a tool of Wall Street, which is what he is.

[yardwork]

32. Too late. The fundies insisted on palin and palin's who they got.

[nsd]

33. At some point, depending on the state, it becomes impossible to change names on the ballot.

I'm sure the deadline has already passed in states that have begun or are about to begin early voting.

Even if Palin could be persuaded to withdraw, it might be too late.

[Captiosus]

48. Hit the nail on the head.

I wish people would read and listen.

It is NIGH IMPOSSIBLE for Palin to be replaced at this point.
Early voting has begun, state rules have attached.

The only way she could be replaced is if she withdraws and the RNC files lawsuits in each and every state to have the ballots changed. And the ballots cannot be changed in states which have already begun voting.

Palin will not be replaced.
She may be able to drop off of the ticket, but no one will be able to be the GOP VP "nominee" without massive state-by-state lawsuits by the RNC. Do you think the RNC wants to waste their money on lawsuits to change the ballot with less than 40 days to go?

[juno jones]

38. I'm sure Mitt is smarter than that.

Romney probably has his eye on 2012. No way is he going to go down on gramp's sinking ship. That would be the end of his ambitions.

[morillon]

41. I agree. Romney should let McCain twist in the wind.

Particularly after all the shit McCain pulled against him. He should let McCain crash and burn, and he should run again in 2012.

[mokawanis]

39. McCain is stuck with her and will not drop her

to think he's going to switch VP choice is, to be honest, absurd.

[TheDonkey]

43. Bin Laden will be the standard October surprise. Perhaps a return of the color code bars

but Palin is staying.

[AnnieBW]

44. They'll lose the Crazy Christian vote

Right now, the "Crazy Christians" are about the only ones that LIKE Miss Mooseburger. If they bump her off of the ticket and replace her with Mittens, those people won't go to the polls.

[malik flavors]

45. It would make McCain's entire campaign a joke. Even he couldn't pull that off.

His judgement would be questioned endlessly.

[elleng]

46. Romn scares

the HELL out of me.

[janx]

47. He can't do that.

He probably wants to at this point, but he can't.

[FatDave]

50. They'll ditch the debate, but I don't think they'll change the ticket.

That would be "blinking".